Document processing device with optimised reversing track layout and single image capacity

ABSTRACT

A document processing device and method of processing documents are disclosed. In one aspect, a document processing device includes a path of travel of documents through the document processing device, the path of travel including an approximately straight portion between a document tray and a document outlet and a return path to the document tray. The document processing device also includes a magnetic ink character recognition reader placed adjacent to the path of travel, and oriented to read magnetic characters printed on a document passing along the path of travel, the document having a front surface and a rear surface. The document processing device also includes an image capture device placed adjacent to the approximately straight portion of the path of travel and oriented to capture an image of the document passing along the path of travel. A plurality of rollers at least partially defines the path of travel, and includes a drive roller configured to route documents along the path of travel. A one-way gate defines a portion of the path of travel, the one-way gate capable of cooperating with the drive roller to reverse the orientation of the front and rear surfaces of the document within the path of travel.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure is directed to a document processing device, suchas a check processing device. In particular, the present disclosure isdirected to a document processing device having an optimized, reversingtrack layout and single image capacity.

BACKGROUND

A transfer of funds can lag a business transaction, such as a purchase,by many days if a check or other negotiable instrument is used. This isbecause routing and payment information must be read and processed, andthe document must be transferred to a bank for funds to be exchanged. Itis advantageous to companies or institutions accepting checks as a formof payment to process those checks as soon as possible after atransaction occurs, so that those companies can obtain and use the fundsrelated to that transaction. There is therefore an increasing desire toplace check processing systems at places of business, thereby allowingthe business to digitize the information on the check. This eliminatesthe requirement that the business send the physical check to the sourcebank or other financial institution prior to getting paid, reducingtransport delays. The drive to ‘truncation’, or reduction in transporttime, has been accelerated by legislative measures in the United Statesand other nations. For example, the U.S. Check Clearing for the 21stCentury Act 2003 (HR 1474 S1334), or ‘The Check 21 Act’, which went intofull effect in October 2004, enacted legal frameworks and standards forthe electronic interchange of digital facsimiles of original financialinstruments within the U.S.

Check processing systems operating in accordance with the Check 21 Actare typically required to read the routing and account numberinformation printed on a check and scan an image of the front side ofthe check or other negotiable instrument. Routing and account numberinformation is typically captured by reading characters printed on thecheck with a magnetic ink character reader, and images are typicallycaptured using an image scanner. These two operations generally areperformed on a document as the document is passed through a documentprocessor, at a predefined speed, past a stationary magnetic inkcharacter reader and image scanner.

Additionally, certain check processing systems developed for use underthe Check 21 Act are intended to be small and low-cost, to encouragetheir use and adoption by businesses. However, these check processingsystems can also be relatively low speed, due to the lower volume ofchecks processed at a business as compared to the number of checksprocessed at a financial institution. For example, a rate of 2-3 checksper minute would be unacceptable at a financial institution, but may bemore than sufficient for a business.

Businesses desiring use of document processing systems for truncationmay require different types of document processing operations, dependingupon the requirements for a particular truncation operation. At aminimum, the magnetic characters printed on a check (e.g. the routingand account information) are read, and an image of the front surface ofthe check is captured. However, other types of operations might bedesired as well. For example, endorsing or franking the check may bedesired, and images of front and rear surfaces after such endorsingand/or franking of the check may be desired. Furthermore, imaging othertypes of documents, such as a driver's license or other identification,may be required Document processing machines typically lack thecapability of capturing this secondary identification information orperforming other processing operations, and therefore businesses mayrequire separate devices for performing these additional functions.

For these and other reasons, improvements are desirable.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present disclosure, the above and other problemsare solved by the following:

In a first aspect, a document processing device includes a path oftravel of documents through the document processing device, the path oftravel including an approximately straight portion between a documenttray and a document outlet and a return path to the document tray. Thedocument processing device also includes a magnetic ink characterrecognition reader placed adjacent to the path of travel, and orientedto read magnetic characters printed on a document passing along the pathof travel. The document processing device also includes an image capturedevice placed adjacent to the approximately straight portion of the pathof travel and oriented to capture an image of the document passing alongthe path of travel. A plurality of rollers at least partially definesthe path of travel, and includes a drive roller configured to routedocuments along the path of travel. A one-way gate defines a portion ofthe path of travel, the one-way gate capable of cooperating with thedrive roller to reverse the orientation of the front and rear surfacesof the document within the path of travel.

In a second aspect, a method of processing a document in a documentprocessing device is disclosed. The method includes receiving a documentinto a path of travel of a document processor. The method also includespassing the document through a one-way gate along the path of travel ina first direction, the document having a front surface and a rearsurface; capturing an image of the document with an image capture deviceas the document passes through an approximately straight portion betweena document tray and a document outlet. The method further includesactivating a magnetic ink character recognition reader to scan formagnetic characters printed on the front surface of the document as thedocument passes through the approximately straight portion. The methodincludes selectively passing the document through the one-way gate froma return path of the path of travel, thereby reversing the orientationof the front and rear surfaces of the document.

In a third aspect, a document processing device is disclosed. Thedocument processing device includes a path of travel of documentsthrough the document processing device, the path of travel including anapproximately straight portion between a document tray and a documentoutlet and a return path to the document tray. The document processingdevice also includes a plurality of rollers at least partially definingthe path of travel, the plurality of rollers including at least onedrive roller configured and located to route documents along the path oftravel, and a magnetic ink character recognition reader placed adjacentto the approximately straight portion and along a first side of the pathof travel and oriented to read magnetic characters printed on a documentpassing along the path of travel, the document having a front surfaceand a rear surface. The document processing device further includes animage capture device placed adjacent to the approximately straightportion, the image capture device positioned along the first side andoriented to capture an image of the document, a franking rollerretractably positioned adjacent to the return path on a second side ofthe path of travel opposite the first side, the franking roller actuableto mark the front surface of the document, and an endorser configured toprint an endorsement on a rear surface of the document, the endorserpositioned along the approximately straight portion and on the firstside of the path of travel. The document processing device also includesa one-way gate capable of cooperating with the drive roller to reversethe orientation of the front and rear surfaces of the document withinthe path of travel, such that during a first pass of the document, thefront surface of the document faces the magnetic ink characterrecognition reader and image capture device, and during a second pass ofthe document the front surface faces the franking roller and the rearsurface of the document faces the endorser.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of a network in which an electronicfinancial transaction may be placed, in accordance with the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of components included within a documentprocessor according to a possible embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A is a close-up schematic view of a one-way gate included withinthe document processor of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3B is a close-up schematic view of the one-way gate of FIG. 3Aillustrating an example position of a document being received into thedocument processor;

FIG. 3C is a close-up schematic view of the one-way gate of FIG. 3Aillustrating an example position of a document returning to the one-waygate portion of the document processor after partial processing;

FIG. 3D is a close-up schematic view of the one-way gate of FIG. 3Aillustrating an example position of a document passing through theone-way gate portion of the document processor after partial processing;

FIG. 3E is a close-up schematic view of the one-way gate of FIG. 3Aillustrating an example position of a document exiting the return pathof the document processor after partial processing;

FIG. 3F is a close-up schematic view of the one-way gate of FIG. 3Aillustrating an example position of a document after exiting the returnpath of the document processor after partial processing;

FIG. 3G is a close-up schematic view of the one-way gate of FIG. 3Aillustrating an example position of a document after exiting the returnpath and passing a document sensor;

FIG. 4 is a first portion of a flowchart illustrating methods andsystems for performing a first set of document processing operations,according to a possible embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a second portion of the flowchart of FIG. 4 illustratingmethods and systems for performing a second set of document processingoperations;

FIG. 6 is a third portion of the flowchart of FIGS. 4-5 illustratingmethods and systems for performing a third set of document processingoperations; and

FIG. 7 is a fourth portion of the flowchart of FIG. 4-6 illustratingmethods and systems for performing a fourth set of document processingoperations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described indetail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numeralsrepresent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views.Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of theinvention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attachedhereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification arenot intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the manypossible embodiments for the claimed invention.

In general, the present disclosure relates to a document processor, suchas a check scanner. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to adocument processor that provides configurable, multiple-passcapabilities useable with a variety of document types, and can reversethe orientation of a check (i.e. reversing the positions of the frontand rear surfaces) within the document processor. In various embodimentsof the present disclosure, the configurable multiple passes can be usedto: capture an image of unmarked front and rear surfaces of thedocument; read magnetic ink characters on a front surface of thedocument; frank a front surface of the document; endorse a rear surfaceof the document; capture an image of a franked front surface of thedocument; and/or capture an image of an endorsed rear surface of thedocument. By allowing (1) configurable multiple passes of a document(e.g. a check) through the document processor, in conjunction with (2)reversible orientation of the document, the document processor of thepresent disclosure can provide a number of selectable, configurabledocument processing operations depending upon the particularrequirements of the application to which it is directed, while using areduced number of document processing components within the deviceitself. Additional features in the document processor allow processingof different types of documents, such as drivers' licenses or otherforms of identification.

The various embodiments of the present disclosure are discussed asrelated to a document processor. As used in this disclosure, a documentprocessor (also known as a document processing system) is intended torelate to a system that is capable of processing checks, and optionallycapable of processing other types of documents, depending upon theparticular configuration of the system. In certain embodiments, adocument processor can be referred to as a check processor, in that itis only configured to process checks or various types (e.g. payroll orpersonal checks).

One specific example of a system in which such a document processor maybe used is shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of anetwork 10 in which a financial transaction may take place, according toa possible embodiment of the present disclosure. The network 10generally includes one or more transaction locations 12 and financialinstitutions 14, communicatively connected by a network, shown as theinternet 16. A transaction location 12 may be any of a number of placesof business at which a financial transaction may take place, such as forpurchase or sale of goods and services. Example transaction locationsmay include restaurants, supermarkets, bank teller windows, ATM's orother places of business or monetary exchange. Each transaction location12 includes a document processor 17 interconnected with a computingsystem 18. The document processor 17 is arranged to provide thetransaction location with the ability to electronically acquireinformation about a printed document, such as a check used for paymentin exchange for goods and/or services. In certain embodiments, thedocument processor 17 can be a check scanner, which is sized anddesigned to be a low cost solution to read account information onpersonal checks and scan images of one or both sides of the check.Example document processing systems and functionality useable in thenetwork 10 is described below in conjunction with FIGS. 2-7.

The computing system 18 provides control instructions to the documentprocessor 17, and receives data captured by the document processor formanagement and organization. The computing system 18 can be any of anumber of types of computing systems, such as a general purpose personalcomputer, or a specialized computer such as a cash register or inventorysystem. The computing system 18 can interconnect with the documentprocessor 17 by any of a number of standard or specialized communicationinterfaces, such as a USB, 802.11 a/b/g network, RF, infrared, serial,or other data connection. In certain embodiments, the computing system18 runs an application configured to control the document processor 17;in further embodiments, the computing system 18 receives data from thedocument scanner and stores and/or communicates the data (images, text,or other information) to other systems to which it is interconnected. Instill other embodiments, the computing system 18 can be integrated intothe document processor, and can provide a programmable control systemfor that document processor.

Each of the financial institutions 14 generally includes a computingsystem 20, which is configured to receive electronic records offinancial transactions relevant to the financial institutions. Thecomputing system 20 can be any of a number of types of computing systemscapable of storing and managing financial transactions; in theembodiment shown, the computing system is a server system comprising oneor more discrete computing units interconnected, as is known in the art.

The electronic records can be electronic transaction records, and caninclude scanned copies of documents memorializing financialtransactions. In a particular example, an electronic record can reflecta purchase made with a check, in which the electronic record includesthe relevant information on the face of the check, the routing andinstitution number printed on the check, and an image of one or moresides of the check, used to validate the other information and todisplay relevant endorsements of the check. Other electronicallycaptured transactions, such as credit card transactions, contracts, orother negotiable instrument transactions may be tracked using thenetwork 10 as well.

The internet connection 16 depicted can be any of a number of WAN, LAN,or other packet based communication networks such that data can beshared among a number of computing systems or other networked devices.Furthermore, although in the embodiment shown two computing systems 18,20 at different, specific locations are depicted, the computing devicesand/or the document processor 17 may be located at the same location orwithin the same network.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of components included within a documentprocessor 100 according to a possible embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The document processor 100 is, in the embodiment shown, amulti-pass, document-reversing document processor configurable toprovide a flexible set of document processing operations.

The document processor 100 generally includes a housing 102, throughwhich a path of travel 104 is defined. The housing can be any of anumber of sizes, shapes, or orientations. In the embodiment shown, thehousing 102 is generally rectangular and sized to fit compactly on adesk, table or sales station at a point of sale or other businesslocation. The path of travel 104 (illustrated by broken lines andbounded by track lines) represents the path documents traverse whilebeing processed by the document processor 100. The path of travel 104starts at an entry and exit opening 106 (e.g. a document tray), andincludes both a substantially straight portion 108 and a return path110.

The substantially straight portion 108 leads between the entry and exitopening 106 and a track exit 112 (e.g. a document outlet), and isconfigured to receive and perform certain processing operations oncertain non-check documents that are relevant to financial transactionssuch as identification documents (e.g. driver's licenses or othergovernment-issued identification). These documents are typically thickerthan checks and other paper documents, and cannot be bent to travelalong the return path 110 portion of the path of travel 104.

By substantially straight, it is intended that the portion 108 of thepath of travel 104 be approximately linear or at least have only slightcurvature or angling, such that the portion 108 can accommodate passageof a semi-rigid document, such as one made from plastic or otherresilient material, along that portion of the track.

The return path 110 can, by contrast, include various corners or bendsin the path of travel 104, and leads back to the entry and exit opening106, rejoining the substantially straight portion 108 at a one-way gate114, the operation of which is described in further detail inconjunction with FIGS. 3A-3G, below.

The track exit 112 can optionally include a gate that is actuable bypressure of a sufficiently non-resilient document, or electronicallyactuable in the instance a non-flexible (e.g. non-check) document passesthrough the substantially straight portion 108 of the path of travel104. The track exit 112 can therefore allow output of documents thatcannot pass along the return path 108, or where errors in MICR read orimage capture are detected, or other reasons.

The path of travel 104 is also at least partially defined by a pluralityof rollers, including drive rollers 116 a-c and pinch rollers 118. Thedrive rollers 116 a-c guide movement of documents through the documentprocessor 100, and can be driven by a stepper motor or otherelectronically or mechanically controlled motor. As explained in furtherdetail below, the drive rollers are capable of rotating in differentdirections at various times during use of the document processingsystem; therefore, the drive rollers can be independently controlled.The drive rollers 116 a-c are configured to rotate at related rates,such that all rollers impart the same linear velocity to a documentmoving through the path of travel 104. In the embodiment shown, thedrive rollers 116 a-b are the same size, so can be rotated at the samerotational velocity to achieve an equal linear velocity. Drive roller116 c, which is smaller in diameter than drive rollers 116 a-b, isdriven by a linkage to drive roller 116 b and is geared to rotate at afaster rate to impart a same linear velocity to documents as rollers 116a-b.

The pinch rollers 118 operate to bias documents against the driverollers, and are spaced along the path of travel to ensure thatdocuments remain oriented along the path. Additionally, other guides(e.g. stationary guides) can be used to assist in defining the path oftravel and encourage documents to move along that path of travel.

In certain embodiments, the path of travel 104 is arranged such that thedistance around the path of travel accommodates various sizes ofdocuments. A minimum sized document must be engaged by at least onedrive roller at all times. Therefore in the embodiment shown whichaccepts personal identification cards, the drive rollers 116 a-cincluded in the document processor 100 are spaced approximately 3.5inches (approximately 89 mm) apart, to accommodate a minimum documentsize of approximately the same length. Specifically, driver's licensesand other rigid plastic documents exiting the document outlet 112 willonly travel along the substantially straight portion 108 of the path oftravel 104, and therefore this minimum distance is optionally onlymaintained in that location, and a longer distance between drive rollerscan be allowed on the return path 110. Depending upon the type ofdocument intended to be accommodated, this distance and configurationcan be varied, e.g. to incorporate additional drive rollers or otherdocument guiding mechanisms. Conversely, the maximum sized document mustbe able to pass through the path of travel so that it will not overlapat the one-way gate. Therefore, in the embodiment shown, the distancearound the loop formed by the portion of the substantially straightportion 108 following the one-way gate 114 leading around the returnpath 110 defines the maximum size document accepted by the documentprocessor 100. Preferably, this length is approximately 9.25 inches(approximately 235 mm); however, in other embodiments, this distance canbe varied.

Along the path of travel 104, a number of document processing componentscan be located such that the document processor 100 can efficientlyperform various combinations of processing tasks. In the embodimentshown, the document processor includes an endorser 120, an image capturedevice 122, a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) reader 124, anda franking roller 126. The endorser 120 is a printing mechanismconfigured to print a programmable, unique endorsement on documents(e.g. checks) passing along the path of travel. In the embodiment shown,the endorser 120 is located adjacent to the one-way gate 114 along thesubstantially straight portion 108 of the path of travel 104; however,in other embodiments, its location may vary. Furthermore, the endorser120 can be any of a number of types of printing mechanisms, such as aninkjet, bubble jet, or laser printing system.

The image capture device 122 is also located along the substantiallystraight portion 108 of the path of travel, and is configured to captureimages of a surface of a document as the document passes the devicealong the path of travel. In the embodiment shown, the image capturedevice 122 is located along the same side of the path of travel as theendorser 120, and is located at a position “downstream” of the endorseralong the path of travel, such that a document could be endorsed andthat endorsement scanned during a single pass of the document throughthe document processor 100. In certain embodiments, the image capturedevice 122 is a contact image sensor; however, other scanning or imagecapture devices could be used as well.

The MICR reader 124 is located along the substantially straight portion108 of the path of travel 104, and is configured to scan for magneticink characters on documents passing through the path of travel. In theembodiment shown, the MICR reader 124 is located along the same side ofthe path of travel as the endorser and the image capture device 122,such that an image of the surface of a document and magnetic inkcharacters can be read during a single pass of the document, if desired.In the embodiment shown, the MICR reader 124 is located at a position“downstream” of the image capture device 122 and at a position adjacenta drive roller 116, to ensure that the document passes sufficientlyclose to the MICR reader 124 to provide reliable reading of the magneticink characters.

The franking roller 126 is located along the return path 110 of the pathof travel, and is intended to mark processed checks to indicate that thecheck has been successfully processed. In the embodiment shown, thefranking roller 126 is located adjacent a drive roller 116 and along aside of the path of travel opposite the endorser 120, image capturedevice 122, and MICR reader 124. In certain embodiments, the frankingroller 126 is used to mark a front surface of checks passing along thepath of travel 104; therefore, the roller can be placed along the returnpath 110, because non-check documents will preferably not be franked.Furthermore, there are occasions where checks will pass through thedocument processor 100 without being franked. Therefore the frankingroller can be actuated to be moved adjacent to the path of travel 104,or can be withdrawn from the path of travel to prevent franking ofcertain documents while those documents are being processed. An actuator128 connected to the franking roller 126 by an actuator arm (not shown)can be pivotally moved to move the franking roller toward the path oftravel 104 such that it is adjacent to an opposed pinch roller 118. Theactuator 128 can be reversed to withdraw the franking roller from thepath of travel as well. Reasons and timing for franking checks arediscussed in greater detail below in conjunction with FIGS. 4-7, whichdiscuss methods of processing documents using a document processor suchas the processor 100 shown.

The one-way gate 114 is located at the intersection of the substantiallystraight portion 108 and the return path 110 of the path of travel, andis used, in conjunction with the drive rollers 116, to guide documentsalong the path of travel and to reverse the orientation of the front andrear surfaces of a document as that document is passed through thedocument processor. Documents passing through the path of travel 104 arereceived by and pass through the substantially straight portion 108, andthen are either output at the track exit 112 or routed along the returnpath 110. If the document is routed along the return path, then it willpass back through the one way gate 114, at least pulled by the adjacentdrive roller 116 a (and possibly also by roller 116 b depending upondocument length). Once the document has completely passed the one-waygate 114, the drive roller 116 a can be actuated to reverse direction,thereby feeding the document back into the substantially straightportion 108 of the path of travel for subsequent document processingoperations. However, during these subsequent document processingoperations, the document passes through the document processor 100 “backto front” (i.e. with the orientation of the front and rear facesreversed) as compared to the orientation of the document when it wasinitially inserted into the document processor. For example, if adocument is first inserted into the document processor such that thefront surface of the document is facing in a first direction, thatdocument will, after a single pass (or other odd number of passes), haveits front surface facing the opposite direction. After a second passalong the path of travel 104 (or subsequent even number of passes) thedocument would return to its original orientation, i.e., having itsfront surface facing its original direction.

To provide feedback regarding the position of documents in the documentprocessor 100, one or more document sensors 130 can be included alongthe path of travel to detect either a front edge or trailing edge of adocument. In the embodiment shown, two document sensors 130 a-b areincluded in the document processor. A first document sensor 130 a can beused to detect the presence of a document at the entry and exit opening106, to activate the drive rollers 116 a-b and draw the document intothe path of travel 104. A second document sensor 130 b can be configuredto detect a trailing edge of a document exiting the return path 110 pastthe one-way gate 114, such that the document processor 100 couldselectively either (1) reverse the direction of rotation of the driveroller 116 a, if a subsequent pass through the path of travel isrequired to complete desired document processing operations, or (2)continue rotation of the drive roller 116 a to expel the documentthrough the entry and exit opening 106. Other sensors could be includedas well, and other locations for the sensors 130 a-b are also possible.

Additional arrangements of sensors, gates, and document processingcomponents are possible beyond those shown, which can accomplish certainaspects of the document reversal and/or multi-pass document processingoperations as described herein. Certain examples of reversible-documentsystems are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filedAug. 29, 2008 and entitled “Check-Processing Device with Single ImageCamera”, Unisys Ref. No. PM 143; and U.S. patent application Ser. No.______, filed Aug. 29, 2008 and entitled “Check-Processing Device WithConditionally-Reversible Track Direction”, Unisys Ref. No. PM144.Examples of other multiple pass document processing systems are alsodescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed ______ andentitled “Compact Multipass Document Processor”, Unisys Ref. No. PM136,and U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed and entitled“Document Processing System Having A Turn-Around Loop With ComponentRepositioning”, Unisys Ref. No. PM108. The disclosures of all four ofthese applications are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentireties.

Although document processor 100 generally is shown from a plan view,such that the housing generally receives documents standing on an edgeto provide self-alignment of those documents, the orientation of thedocument processor could be altered such that documents are receivedinto the entry and exit opening 106 while flat. Other orientations andarrangements of the document processor are possible as well.Furthermore, additional details regarding methods and systems foroperation of a document processor such as document processor 100 aredescribed in further detail below in conjunction with FIGS. 4-7.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A-3G, various views of a portion of the documentprocessing system 100 are shown to illustrate passage of a document 150therethrough. In particular, the views illustrate operation of (1) thedrive roller 116 a and (2) the one-way gate 114 joining thesubstantially straight portion 108 and the return path 110 of the pathof travel 104, such that documents are routed through the documentprocessor in a single, consistent, repeatable manner.

FIG. 3A illustrates the portion of the document processor 100 in theabsence of a document in the path of travel 104. As illustrated, theone-way gate 114 resides adjacent to the drive roller 116 a, andseparates the substantially straight portion 108 from the return path110. Sensor 130 b is located toward the entry and exit opening 106 ofthe path of travel 104 from the one-way gate 114.

In the embodiment shown, the one-way gate 114 preferably has awedge-shaped or curved surface 140 forming a portion of thesubstantially straight portion 108 of the path of travel 104, toencourage the documents received into the path of travel are guided intothe substantially straight portion. The one-way gate 114 also preferablyhas a curved surface 142 on the portion adjacent the drive roller 116 ato form the return path 110, such that documents passing along thereturn path are bent toward the drive roller and back toward the entryand exit opening 106.

FIGS. 3B-3G illustrate a sequence in which a document passes through thedocument processor. FIG. 3B illustrates a document 150 first receivedinto the document processor. The document is received at an entry andexit opening 106, into the path of travel 104 past the sensor 130 b anddrive roller 116 a, and is urged by the surface 140 toward thesubstantially straight portion 108 of the path of travel. The driveroller 116 a rotates to pull the document into the document processor.In the side orientation shown, the drive roller 116 a rotates in acounterclockwise direction to draw documents into the path of travel.

FIG. 3C illustrates the portion of the document processing system 100with the document 150 returning toward the one-way gate 114 in thereturn path 110. In this figure, the document 150 engages the surface142, and is driven by drive roller 116 b (not shown) along the indicateddirection of travel. During movement of the document as illustrated inFIG. 3C, drive roller 116 a is moving clockwise, i.e. in an oppositedirection from that illustrated in FIG. 3B. Therefore, drive roller 116a acts to pull the document from the return path 110 toward the entryand exit opening 106.

FIG. 3D illustrates the portion of the document processing system 100with the document 150 continuing past the one-way gate 114 in the pathof travel 104, such that it is partially in the return path 110 andpartially in the substantially straight portion 108. The document passesby the sensor 130 b, which detects that the document is present andattempts to detect a trailing edge of the document. The drive roller 116a continues to rotate in a clockwise direction, pulling the documenttoward the entry and exit opening 106.

FIG. 3E illustrates the portion of the document processing system 100just before the document 150 has passed the one-way gate. As shown, thenatural resilience of the document has caused it to straightensubstantially, even while engaged with surface 142. The drive roller 116a continues to rotate in a clockwise direction, pulling the documenttoward the entry and exit opening 106, while the sensor 130 b continuesto monitor for a trailing edge of the document.

FIG. 3F illustrates the portion of the document processing system 100after the document 150 has passed the one-way gate 114. Because the endof the document has not yet reached the sensor 130 b, the drive roller116 a continues rotation in a clockwise direction. The naturalresilience of the document causes it to straighten within the path oftravel once it has cleared the one-way gate 114, such that it will notnaturally feed back into the return path 110 upon reversal of the driveroller 116 a.

FIG. 3G illustrates the portion of the document processing system 100after the document 150 has exited the one-way gate portion of thedocument processor after processing. In this figure, the document haspassed the sensor 130 b, and therefore the document processor 100 knowsthat the document has passed the one-way gate. The document processor100 optionally can either (1) continue clockwise rotation of the driveroller 116 a, causing the document to be expelled to a document traythrough the entry and exit opening 106, or (2) reverse direction of thedrive roller 116 a, thereby causing counterclockwise rotation andpulling the document into the substantially straight portion 108 of thepath of travel 104 for further processing of the document (i.e. therebyrepeating FIGS. 3B-3G, of the document returns on return path 110).

FIGS. 4-7 illustrate a flowchart for a system 200 for documentprocessing, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.The system 200 represents functionality that occurs in a documentprocessor, as directed by a control system of that processor. Forexample, the control system can correspond to control circuitry of thedocument processor, or the document processor can be communicativelyconnected to a computing system executing software for directing theprocessor to perform various steps. The various modules described in thesystem 200 can therefore correspond to functional software and/orhardware blocks, such as software instructions stored in a memory,specific or programmed general purpose integrated circuits, or othercomputing or control systems. The system 200 is particularly directed touse in conjunction with a multi-pass, document reorienting documentprocessor, such as the one described above in conjunction with FIGS. 2and 3A-3F. Each of FIGS. 4-7 represents example document processingoperations that can take place in sequential passes of a documentthrough a document processor, as described in further detail below.

Now referring to FIG. 4, the system 200 is instantiated at a startoperation 202, which corresponds generally to initialization of thedocument processor and providing a document to an input opening andtake-up of the document processor. The document provided to the documentprocessor can be any of a number of items for which processing isdesired, such as a check, driver's license, or other similar documentcapable of receipt by the document processor. Operational flow proceedsto a receive document module 204, which corresponds to receipt andtake-up of the document by the document processor. In a possibleembodiment, the receive document module 204 is activated by a sensordetecting the presence of a check or other document (e.g. as shown inFIG. 2, above), and subsequent actuation of a drive roller (e.g. driveroller 116 a) to draw the document into the document processor. In thepresent embodiment, the receive document module 204 is preconfigured toreceive documents oriented such that the front surface of the documentfaces toward the side of the path of travel containing an imaging deviceand MICR reader (e.g. imaging device 122 and MICR reader 124).

Operational flow proceeds to a front image module 206, which captures animage of the front surface of the document, including the informationprinted on the document. The front image module 206 activates an imagingdevice, such as a contact image sensor, to capture data representativeof an image of the document. A MICR module 208 detects and reads (ifpresent) magnetic ink characters printed on the front surface of thedocument, such as check routing information and account information. TheMICR module 208 activates a MICR reader, for example the MICR reader 124of the document processor 100, as the document passes along the path oftravel to capture any available magnetic character information on thedocument.

A completion operation 210 determines whether the check processing isnow complete. Check processing may be complete after capturing an imageand attempting MICR reading, for example, if that is all of the requiredinformation for truncation in a particular truncation operation, or ifthe document is not a check. If, for example, the document is personalidentification, no franking or endorsing is required, and capturing afront surface image may be sufficient.

In certain embodiments, the completion operation 210 includes stallingdrive rollers in a document processing system, or otherwise stallingmovement of a document along a path of travel to allow time for thecontrol system 200 to determine whether information was successfullycaptured and whether a secondary operation is necessary. In theseembodiments, the length of time that the document is stalled may varyaccording to the computing operation required. For example, a compleximage or character recognition process may be applied to the image andcharacter information captured during the first pass of the documentthrough the system 100. Or, databases may need to be consulted tocompare data captured from the check with stored data. In the suchembodiments, the stalling performed by the completion operation 210 canoccur with the document partially expelled toward the entry and exitopening 106, as illustrated in FIG. 3G. This configuration allows thedocument processor to pause a check without requiring an empty portionof a path of travel (i.e. of at least the length of the maximum documentsize, e.g. 9.25 inches) in which a document could reside while documentprocessing decisions are made.

If the completion operation 210 determines that the document processingis complete, operational flow branches “yes” to a document ejectionmodule 212, which can eject the document from the document processor.Depending upon the type of document (i.e. whether the document can passalong a return path in the document processor) the document can beejected at any of a plurality of openings, such as an entry and exitopening 106 or a document outlet 112, as described above with respect todocument processor 100. From the eject module 212, operational flowproceeds to an end operation 214, which corresponds to completedprocessing of a single document by a document processor controlled bythe system 200.

If the completion operation 210 determines that the document processingis not complete, operational flow proceeds to FIG. 5 (via off-pagereference “A”), and to a reverse document module 216. The reversedocument module 216 corresponds to passage of a document through a pathof travel such that the orientation of the front surface and the rearsurface are reversed. In an embodiment of the system 200 operating onthe document processor 100 of FIG. 2, the reverse document module 216performs the document reversal operation illustrated in FIGS. 3B-3G.

Operational flow proceeds to an endorsement determination operation 218.The endorsement determination operation 218 determines whether thesystem is configured to capture an image of an unendorsed rear surfaceof the document. If the endorsement determination operation 218determines that an endorsement should be applied (e.g. the check isbeing processed by a payee, there is no requirement to capture an imageof an unendorsed rear surface of a check, and the check has successfullyhad the necessary information captured, etc.) operational flow branches“yes” to an endorsement module 220 where an endorser (e.g. endorser 120)can print on the check in a location set to receive endorsements. Theendorsement module 220 activates an endorser typically when the rearsurface of the check is facing the endorser; therefore, the endorsementmodule 220 will typically not operate during the same pass of a check inwhich the front surface is scanned and MICR characters are read.

If the endorsement determination operation 218 determines that thedocument should not be endorsed, operational flow branches “no” to arear image module 222. Additionally, operational flow proceeds from theendorsement module 220 to the rear image module 222. The rear imagemodule 222 generally performs the same functionality as front imagemodule 206, but because the orientation of the front and rear surfacesis reversed, the captured image is of a rear surface of the document.Furthermore, depending upon whether the endorsement module 220 isexecuted, the rear image captured can be of either an unendorsed or anendorsed document.

Operational flow proceeds to a franking module 224. The franking module224 selectively actuates a franking roller (e.g. franking roller 126 ofFIG. 2), moving the franking roller between a marking position and aretracted position. In the marking position, the franking roller ispositioned to engage a document passing by the roller along a path oftravel, to frank the document, i.e. printing an indication on thedocument to indicate that it has been considered and its imagesuccessfully captured. In the retracted position, the franking roller iswithdrawn from the path of travel to prevent unwanted marking of adocument. In certain embodiments, the franking module 224 actuates amotor configured to move an actuating arm connected to the frankingroller, on order to move the roller. Other roller actuation arrangementsare possible as well.

A completion operation 226 determines whether the check processing isnow complete. Check processing may be complete after two passes, if thedesired operations for processing are (1) image and MICR capture (pass1), and (2) franking, capturing a rear image, and optionally endorsing arear surface of the document (pass 2). If the completion operation 226determines that the document processing is complete, operational flowbranches “yes” to a document ejection module 228, which can eject thedocument from the document processor at entry and exit opening 106. Fromthe eject module 228, operational flow proceeds to an end operation 230,which corresponds to completed two-pass processing of a single documentby a document processor controlled by the system 200.

If the completion operation 226 determines that the document processingis not complete (e.g. endorsement is desired but not yet occurred),operational flow proceeds to FIG. 6 (via off-page reference “B”), and toa reverse document module 232. The reverse document module 232 generallycorresponds to the reverse document module 216, in that it correspondsto passage of a document through a path of travel such that theorientation of the front surface and the rear surface are reversed.However, because the reverse document module 232 reverses the document asecond time, it returns the document to its original orientation.

Operational flow proceeds from the reverse document module 232 to afront image module 234, which captures a further image of a frontsurface of the document. The front image module 234 activates the imagecapture device to capture a subsequent image of the front surface of thedocument during this third pass of the document through the documentprocessor. The front surface of the document has been franked at thispoint, as compared to the front surface image captured during operationof the front image module 206 of FIG. 4.

A completion operation 236 determines whether the check processing isnow complete. Check processing may be complete after three passes if therear image was already captured with an endorsement printed thereon. If,during the second pass of the document, the system 200 did not endorsethe document, a fourth pass can be added to endorse the document andcapture an image of the endorsed document. Therefore if the completionoperation 236 determines that the document processing is complete (i.e.the endorsement was already performed and captured during the secondpass, as shown in FIG. 5), operational flow branches “yes” to a documentejection module 238, which can eject the document from the documentprocessor at entry and exit opening 106. From the eject module 238,operational flow proceeds to an end operation 240, which corresponds tocompleted three-pass processing of a single document by a documentprocessor controlled by the system 200.

If the completion operation 236 determines that the document processingis not complete, operational flow proceeds to FIG. 7 (via off-pagereference “C”), and to a reverse document module 242. The reversedocument module 242 corresponds to passage of a document through a pathof travel such that the orientation of the front surface and the rearsurface are again reversed. Because the reverse document module 242reverses the document a third time, it returns the document to itsinverted orientation, i.e. the same orientation as after the first passof the document (following reverse document module 216).

Operational flow proceeds to an endorsement module 244, which endorsesthe rear surface of the document, and a rear image module 246 capturesan image of the endorsed rear surface. These modules correspond toanalogous modules described above in FIG. 5; however, the endorsementand imaging on a fourth pass of the document through the documentprocessor occurs in the instance where no endorsement occurred duringthe second pass of the document. Operational flow proceeds to a documentejection module 248, which can eject the document from the documentprocessor at entry and exit opening 106. From the eject module 248,operational flow proceeds to an end operation 250, which corresponds tocompleted four-pass processing of a single document by a documentprocessor controlled by the system 200.

Following completed processing of a document by a document processor(e.g. by a one-pass, two-pass, three-pass, four-pass, or other documentprocessing operation), the captured image and character informationrelated to the document can be stored in a memory of the documentprocessor or related computing system, or transmitted to a financialinstitution for settlement (e.g. as illustrated in FIG. 1).

Although the present disclosure relates to certain particularconfigurations and uses of a document processor and related system forcontrolling a document processor, it is understood that additionalarrangements of components and types of document processing operationscan be included in document processors in a manner consistent with thepresent disclosure. Furthermore, the order of operations and arrangementof components in the present disclosure is intended to be exemplary ofan advantageous combination and functionality, while other arrangementsand orders of operations may provide similar advantages.

The above specification, examples and data provide a completedescription of the manufacture and use of the composition of theinvention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention, the inventionresides in the claims hereinafter appended.

1. A document processing device comprising: a path of travel ofdocuments through the document processing device, the path of travelincluding: an approximately straight portion between a document tray anda document outlet; and a return path to the document tray; a magneticink character recognition reader placed adjacent to the path of travel,the magnetic ink character recognition reader oriented to read magneticcharacters printed on a document passing along the path of travel, thedocument having a front surface and a rear surface; an image capturedevice placed adjacent to the approximately straight portion of the pathof travel and oriented to capture an image of the document passing alongthe path of travel; a plurality of rollers at least partially definingthe path of travel, the plurality of rollers including a drive rollerconfigured to route documents along the path of travel; and a one-waygate capable of cooperating with the drive roller to reverse theorientation of the front and rear surfaces of the document within thepath of travel.
 2. The document processing device of claim 1, whereinthe one way gate, drive roller, and path of travel cooperate to allowthe image capture device to capture an image of an opposite surface ofthe document during a subsequent passage of the document along the pathof travel.
 3. The document processing device of claim 1, wherein theplurality of rollers further includes at least a second drive roller. 4.The document processing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality ofrollers further includes a plurality of pinch rollers.
 5. The documentprocessing device of claim 1, wherein the document tray is positioned atan entry and exit opening of the document processing device, the entryand exit opening configured to receive checks and other documents intothe path of travel and output at least checks from the path of travel.6. The document processing device of claim 1, wherein the documentoutlet outputs selected non-check documents from the path of travel. 7.The document processing device of claim 6, wherein the selectednon-check documents include personal identification documents.
 8. Thedocument processing device of claim 1, further comprising a frankingroller retractably positioned along the path of travel, the frankingroller actuable to mark the front surface of the document.
 9. Thedocument processing device of claim 7, wherein the franking roller islocated along a side of the path of travel opposite the image capturedevice, and the franking roller is actuated to mark the front surface ofthe document after operation of the drive roller and one-way gate toreverse the orientation of the front and rear surfaces of the document.10. The document processing device of claim 1, wherein the image capturedevice is further configured to capture an image of the rear surface ofthe document after operation of the drive roller and one-way gate toreverse the orientation of the front and rear surfaces of the document.11. The document processing device of claim 1, further comprising anendorser configured to print an endorsement on the document.
 12. Thedocument processing device of claim 11, wherein the endorser is locatedon the same side of the path of travel as the image capture device, andthe endorser is actuated to print an endorsement on the rear surface ofthe document after operation of the drive roller and one-way gate toreverse the orientation of the front and rear surfaces of the document.13. The document processing device of claim 1, further comprising atleast one document sensor located along the path of travel.
 14. Thedocument processing device of claim 13, wherein the at least onedocument sensor is configured to detect movement of the document by thedrive roller past the one-way gate, thereby indicating that theorientation of the front and rear surfaces of the document are reversed.15. A method of processing a document in a document processing device,the method comprising: receiving a document into a path of travel of adocument processor; passing the document through a one-way gate alongthe path of travel in a first direction, the document having a frontsurface and a rear surface; capturing an image of the document with animage capture device as the document passes through an approximatelystraight portion between a document tray and a document outlet;activating a magnetic ink character recognition reader to scan formagnetic characters printed on the front surface of the document as thedocument passes through the approximately straight portion; andselectively passing the document through the one-way gate from a returnpath of the path of travel, thereby reversing the orientation of thefront and rear surfaces of the document.
 16. The method of claim 15,further comprising, after passing the document through the one-way gatefrom the return path: passing the document through the one-way gatealong the path of travel toward the approximately straight portion; andcapturing an image of an opposite surface of the document with the imagecapture device.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising, afterpassing the document through the one-way gate from the return path,endorsing the rear surface of the document prior to capturing the imageof the rear surface of the document.
 18. The method of claim 16, furthercomprising, after passing the document through the one-way gate from thereturn path, franking the front surface of the document.
 19. The methodof claim 16, further comprising outputting the document from thedocument processing device.
 20. A document processing device comprising:a path of travel of documents through the document processing device,the path of travel including: an approximately straight portion betweena document tray and a document outlet; and a return path to the documenttray; a plurality of rollers at least partially defining the path oftravel, the plurality of rollers including at least one drive rollerconfigured and located to route documents along the path of travel; amagnetic ink character recognition reader placed adjacent to theapproximately straight portion and along a first side of the path oftravel, the magnetic ink character reader oriented to read magneticcharacters printed on a document passing along the path of travel, thedocument having a front surface and a rear surface; an image capturedevice placed adjacent to the approximately straight portion, the imagecapture device positioned along the first side and oriented to capturean image of the document; a franking roller retractably positionedadjacent to the return path on a second side of the path of travelopposite the first side, the franking roller actuable to mark the frontsurface of the document; an endorser configured to print an endorsementon a rear surface of the document, the endorser positioned along theapproximately straight portion and on the first side of the path oftravel; and a one-way gate capable of cooperating with the drive rollerto reverse the orientation of the front and rear surfaces of thedocument within the path of travel, such that during a first pass of thedocument, the front surface of the document faces the magnetic inkcharacter recognition reader and image capture device, and during asecond pass of the document the front surface faces the franking rollerand the rear surface of the document faces the endorser.